Retirement System Associate, BERS

New York City Department of Education; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

New York City Department of Education seeks a Retirement System Associate to perform technical work in retirement benefits under supervision. The role requires strong analytic skills and experience with pension data and payroll computations.

Candidates will handle complex calculations, respond to inquiries, and maintain comprehensive records. The position reports to the BERS Unit Supervisor and interacts with staff across the DOE retirement systems.

Qualifications

• Minimum requires a baccalaureate degree in mathematics, statistics, accounting, economics, finance, data analytics, project management, business administration, public administration and/or actuarial science.
• Alternatively, a combination including an associate degree or 60 credits with related experience in financial or retirement systems is accepted.
• Two years of analytical, administrative or customer service work in financial contexts may substitute for some education requirements.

Responsibilities

• Review member records to ensure accurate summaries of accounting, reconciliation, and pension payroll data.
• Evaluate complex service and salary data and compute retirement benefits.
• Check complex computations and respond to technical inquiries from other units.
• Maintain records, update files, and retrieve information using computers and paper systems.
• Propose improvements to protocols and metrics to be tracked.

Job description

Retirement System Associate, BERS - 27209

Associate Retirement Benefits Examiner

Level

L1

Division/Office

Board of Education Retirement System

Borough

Manhattan

Posting End Date

10/08/2026

This position is in a civil service competitive class that is subject to examination. If you do not already have permanent NYC civil service status as Associate Retirement Benefits Examiner, you will have to file to take the civil service exam for this title when offered by Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). Information regarding NYC civil service exams can be found on the DCAS website. This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a program.

Description

Position Summary

Under the general supervision the Retirement System Associate performs technical work of varying degrees of difficulty and responsibility in the field of retirement benefits. Performs related work.

Reports to

BERS Unit Supervisor

Direct Reports

N/A

Key Relationships

The Retirement System Associate works closely with staff throughout BERS and other City Retirement Systems.

Responsibilities

• Reviews member records to ensure that summaries of accounting, reconciliation, calculation, and pension payroll data are accurate.
• Evaluates complex service and salary data.
• Computes retirement benefits and participates in the analysis and evaluation of production records and trends.
• Checks and reviews complex computations, such as those involving deficits, purchase of prior time, entry and re-entry into system, and death benefits, including presumed retirement death benefits.
• Responds to more complex and technical inquiries which have been forwarded from other units.
• Keeps records, searches and updates files and retrieves information using computers and paper records.
• Proposes improvements to existing protocols and metrics to be tracked.

Qualification Requirements

Minimum

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in mathematics, statistics, accounting, economics, finance, data analytics, project management, business administration, public administration and/or actuarial science; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and:
  • Two years of satisfactory full-time experience performing analytical, administrative or customer service work within a financial institution, retirement system, or pension performing one or more of the following: financial account management, resolving complex financial inquiries, or ensuring compliance with regulatory standards; or
  • One year of satisfactory full-time experience performing mathematical, statistical, actuarial, or accounting computations in one or more of the following:
    • a retirement or employee benefits plan; and/or
    • for customer service in a financial institution; and/or
    • in a position requiring the application of law, rules, and regulations and the use of statistical, actuarial, or similar tables; or
• An associate degree or completion of 60 semester credits from an accredited college and either three years of experience as described in “2(a)” above, or two years of experience as indicated in “2(b)” above
• An associate degree or completion of 60 semester credits from an accredited college, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in mathematics, statistics, accounting, economics, finance, data analytics, project management, business administration, public administration and/or actuarial science and two years of experience as described in “2(a)” above, or one year of experience as indicated in “2(b)” above; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and either four years of experience as described in “2(a)” above, or three years of experience as indicated in “2(b)” above.
• A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to “1”, “2’, “3”, “4”, or “5” to the above. College education may be substituted for the experience described above on the basis that:
  • Fifteen semester credits from an accredited college including at least three semester credits in the areas described in “4” above may be substituted for six months of the required work experience.
  • Thirty semester credits from an accredited college may be substituted for six months of the required work experience.
  • However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and either a baccalaureate degree as described in “1” above, or at least two years of experience as described in “2 (a)” above, or one year of experience as described in “2 (b)” above

Plus

In addition to meeting the minimum requirements, individuals must have two additional years of relevant work experience.

Preferred

• Experience with APRL, CHRMS, EIS, PMS, and V3.
• Strong analytical and research skills.

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

*NewYorkCityResidencyis NOT Required *

We encourage all applicants from theNewYorkCitytri-state area to apply.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DOE Non- Discrimination Policy

The Department of Education of the City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or pregnancy. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy .

REQUESTING AN ACCOMMODATION - APPLICANTS

Any prospective employee (applicant) who is a qualified individual with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation to assist in the application process. If an applicant for employment believes that they have a qualifying disability and are in need of a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application process on an equal basis as applicants who do not have a disability, they should request an accommodation with their interview team or contact ODA by emailing [e-mail] . The determination of the accommodation request will be communicated to the applicant in writing.

https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/doe-employees-only/personnel-memorandum-6-2024-2025---accommodations.pdf

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/ .